Georgia Law to host public interest weekend focusing on social injustice

Athens, Ga. - Juvenile sentencing, eyewitness testimony and economic disparity are just a few of the topics that will be covered during the 4th Annual Working in the Public Interest Law Conference: Advancing Social Justice to be held Feb. 27-28 at the University of Georgia School of Law.

The two-day event will include numerous panels and roundtable discussions with notable speakers from across the country as well as a keynote address by Mary Bauer, Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Immigrant Justice Project, which focuses on the legal needs of migrant workers.

"Our goal is to create a forum where important social justice issues can be brought to light and potential solutions explored," second-year law student and conference organizer Stinson W. Ferguson said. "I am confident that each and every participant will walk away with a better understanding of how to combat social injustice through the vehicle of law and a renewed determination to make a difference."

The conference will start Friday night with Bauer's keynote speech followed by an awards ceremony to recognize outstanding contributions made by practitioners and students in the public interest arena.

Participants are then encouraged to head to downtown Athens for Georgia Law's 24th Annual Equal Justice Foundation Auction. The silent auction will begin at 8 p.m. followed by a live auction and raffle. Proceeds will go to EJF's 2009 summer fellowships, which help support Georgia Law students working in public interest positions during the summer.

Saturday morning, the WIPI conference resumes with a morning plenary on human rights in the Southeast featuring Director of Human Rights Watch David C. Fathi and Executive Director of U.S. Human Rights Network Ajamu Baraka followed by a variety of panels and roundtables. Topics for the day include: juvenile sentencing; eyewitness testimony; economic disparity; healthcare; marriage rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons; and sex trafficking.

Preregistration is required. To learn more or to register by the Feb. 21 deadline, please visit www.law.uga.edu/wipi . Please note, 10 CLE credits are available.